In Memoriam: Robert Geary, 82
34 Years in Senior Financial Roles at Chemical, Chase
Robert (Bob) Geary, whose 49 years in the finance industry included a variety of senior Treasury, financial markets, asset management and risk management roles at Chemical and Chase Manhattan Banks from 1972 to 2006, died of complications from pancreatic cancer on August 24, 2025. He was 82 and a resident of Old Greenwich, CT.Geary grew up in Washington Heights (Manhattan) and earned a BA degree in Economics from Pace University. He did graduate studies in finance at New York University Graduate School of Business.
Prior to joining Chase, he held positions at Chrysler Financial Corporation and National Bank of North America.
During his career with JPMorganChase, Geary served in the following positions: Head of Chase Manhattan Bank’s euro and other offshore funding activities; Chase’s first Asia/Pacific Area Treasury and Financial Markets Executive located in Hong Kong, with responsibility for the Treasury, currency trading/sales activities and securities portfolios of Chase’s branches in nine countries that included the major centres of Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore; Western Hemisphere Area Treasury and Financial Markets Executive with similar responsibilities for Chase’s branches in South America, Canada, Panama and Puerto Rico; National Sales Manager for Chase Securities Treasury and Financial Markets; General Manager for Chase AMP Bank in Australia Risk Management and Treasury Executive for Chase’s Asset Management and Private Bank organizations; Head of risk management oversight function of Market, Credit and Operational Risk for Chase Asset Management; and Managing Director and Head of Fiduciary Risk Management for the Corporation.
During Geary’s career, he served on the Board of Directors of Chase Manhattan Overseas Banking Corporation as well as numerous senior committees that included Chase’s Portfolio and Investment Strategy Committee, Tax Committee, International Asset/Liability Management Committee, Chase Investment Policy Committee, and Capital Markets & FX Risk Management Committee.
Following retirement from Chase, Geary founded Greenwich Risk Management Advisory Services “LLC” and served as the principal consultant on many of the firm’s consultancy mandates.
He was a former President of the New York Athletic Club and member of the Executive Advisory Board of St. John’s University Department of Accounting and Taxation. His family said his passions were the NYAC, golf, traveling, Christmas in Connecticut, and spending time with his family and friends.
Among his survivors are his wife, Maryann, a son (who works for JPMorgan), two daughters and eight grandchildren.
A memorial mass will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 10 am at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 4 Riverside Avenue, Riverside, CT.
The family asks that memorial gifts be sent to the American Cancer Society.
Remembrances
Please send remembrances to news@chasealum.org
From Paul Brandow: Bob was one of the first people I met after joining Chase in 1972. As junior associates, he in Treasury and I in Financial Management, we were invited to join an offsite of the senior Treasury Funding executives led by Tom Labrecque. Thus began a lifelong professional and personal friendship that only ended a few short weeks ago with Bob’s untimely death.
I had the privilege of replacing Bob as the Asia/Pacific Treasury and Financial Markets Executive and worked closely with him over many years as he took on a variety of senior roles in Treasury. We continued to see each other regularly in our retirement years, and we most recently met for lunch at his favorite Greenwich pub on August 5th, never thinking it would be our last. He was a true professional and steadfast friend.
From Phillip Sorace: I knew Bob very well at Chase and in his life afterward at Greenwich Capital and the NYAC and am saddened by his passing. He was a soft spoken, deep thinker whose leadership and financial acumen contributed greatly to every position he held. While he served Chase in distinction, I think he truly enjoyed his tenure at the New York A/C most of all. Our paths crossed many times in many places throughout the Chase Global Network during our careers, especially during the time I headed the Government Finance Division at Treasury. We had occasion to share leads and intelligence after Chase when we both were developing business opportunities for our respective consulting ventures. Bob was always quick to assist and I found his advice and counsel to be clear, penetrating and honest; sometimes painfully so, but always with sincerity and respect. I extend my sincerest condolences to his wife, Maryann, his family, and his many friends and colleagues.
From Rajesh Singh: I worked for and with Bob in the private bank for a number of years.
My deepest condolences to Maryann and the family.
May his soul rest in peace.
From Bill Flanz: Bob was a great member of the Asia Pacific Team, while based in Hong Kong. Bob was a real treasury pro. He and Maryann were also very amiable members to have within our Chase community.
I never knew of his role as President of the NYAC. I joined this incredible athletic club while I was based in Tokyo, and used the NYAC as my “NY hotel”, during my brief, frequent trips to Head Office for various meetings. I loved using the pool before breakfast, in a partially successful effort to overcome my jet lag.
Janet and I extend our deepest sympathies to Maryann and the rest of the family.
From Joe Murphy: Over the past few years, our in-person contact became limited due to Bob's mobility issues, but we maintained our friendship through email correspondence. Bob particularly enjoyed critiquing my weekday humor emails—he was always quick to react when a joke hit his funny bone, though he'd let me know when one occasionally missed the mark.
Reflecting on my professional encounters with Bob, I'm struck by a consistent theme: I was always seeking his expert advice and opinions, and he never failed to deliver thoughtful guidance.
My first memory dates back to around 1971, when Bob presented to our Credit Training Class at 1 CMP. He taught us the fundamentals of Treasury Department operations within a commercial bank. To this day, I still find myself trying to recall his explanation of that counterintuitive inverse relationship between bond prices and yields.
A few years later, we offered our first fixed-rate seven-year term loan to a bank holding company. After the loan was executed, our monthly P&L showed a 7/8 point spread, but we had previously agreed with Treasury on a full 1% spread. I found myself sitting across from Bob, essentially groveling for that missing 1/8 point increase. With the patience of a natural teacher, Bob explained in terms anyone could understand that Treasury didn't fund individual loans but rather entire portfolios based on maturity and risk profiles. I returned to my office somewhat sheepishly, hat in hand. Remarkably, the next month's P&L reflected the full one percent margin we had originally planned. Thank you, Bob.
We crossed paths again at APAO in Hong Kong in the late seventies, where Bob was heading what may have been the largest line-of-business profit center in Asia. His particular strength lay in identifying and hiring talented local traders, then empowering them to run profitable operations across all Asia Pacific branches. The role came with tremendous stress—constant highs and lows—yet Bob maintained steady leadership, always remaining calm and composed under pressure.
And who could forget the elaborate celebrations and parties that Maryann and Bob hosted, both in Hong Kong and later in Greenwich? Their children—Robbie, Kim and Samantha—would assist their parents in entertaining guests, making every gathering feel like a true family affair.
Dona joins me in sending our prayers and heartfelt condolences to the extended Geary family.
Rest in peace, Robert.